Liberal vs Conservative Wednesday, October 19, 2011 2:01 PM Hobbes viewed the state (good) as a buffer against the deplorable anarchy of the state of nature (which was bad) Rousseau saw the state and society (bad) as the corruption of the noble savage (pure and free) Hobbes believed that humans were egotistical creatures who could not commit altruistic acts but are rescued by the leviathan Rousseau believed that humans are innately good, noble savages who are corrupted by society. If we were left alone in nature like Robinson Crusoe, humans would flourish. Hobbes believed that free will is a myth and that we are determined to follow our instincts. Rousseau hold the Lockean faith in education, and believes that babies were born with a tabula

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Unformatted text preview: rasa, a mental blank state, so that education makes all the difference. In other words, nature is decisive in forming the human mind. Hobbes believes that government is top-down, whatever it decides is legitimate Rousseau believed that government must be bottom- up, from the people and for the people; but when the people do not see their true interest, the general will, they can be &quot;forced to be free&quot; Hobbes is a pessimist, government is necessary to prevent chaos Rousseau is an optimist, government is a necessary evil, given our development as acquisitive beings who value property; but he gives the state as much power as Hobbes gives the Leviathan....
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